Preachers and scholars arrested in Saudi Arabia 'should not be used as pawns in political crisis', Doha-based IUMS says.

The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has condemned the reported arrest of Muslim preachers and scholars in Saudi Arabia, urging Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to order their release.

Salman al-Auda, a prominent Muslim preacher and member of the IUMS's board of trustees, and more than 20 others "should not be used as pawns in political disputes", said IUMS in a statement issued late on Monday, referring to the dispute between Qatar and four other Arab states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

"In regards to the crisis [with] the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, al-Auda has done nothing but call for unity between these brotherly countries," the statement read, noting that his last tweet urged GCC members to "come together for the sake of their people".

The IUMS is an organisation of Islamic theologians headed by chairman Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and headquartered in Qatar.

About 90,000 Muslim scholars are connected through the union, which claims to bring together Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Ali Qara Daghi, IUMS secretary-general, was quoted in the document as saying that Auda was known for his "moderate positions".

Saudi Arabia is yet to issue any official statement regarding the reported arrests.

The incident came to light on Twitter after Khalid bin Fahd al-Auda tweeted on Sunday that the Saudi authorities had arrested is brother Salman.

He did not elaborate on the time of the arrest or the possible reasons behind it.